June 13, 2023

Eric, my husband, has been working at the office all week.  He’s normally here all day so I don’t worry too much.  But tonight, after work, I’m in my office doing some paperwork.  It is after dinner for my parents and I hear my dad scream my name.  I dart out of my office and down the stairs.  My heart is racing.  I’m afraid she is choking again.  But thankfully she wasn’t choking, but on the floor.  I ask if she’s OK and she says yes.  My dad said she didn’t fall hard, just landed on her bum.  And she’s saying she can get up on her own.  And my dad is saying there’s no way he can do it (rightfully so).  And Eric is not home…in fact he probably won’t be home for hours because he is at a company dinner.  So I can either leave her sitting on the floor for 3 or more hours or I can see what I can do myself.  

After the last time she fell and Eric picked her up, we talked about my worry that she will fall and he won’t be around to help.  He insisted I’d be able to do it myself and he tried to teach me what to do.  I practiced on him but I think that was a little unrealistic seeing I’m 5’4” and he’s 6’2”.  But he was convinced I could do it.  

So I had her scoot her bum to where I could lean up against the wall.  I bent down at the knees like Eric showed me and tried to keep my back straight so I didn’t hurt myself.  I put my arms under hers and we lifted together.  It was not pretty and it was hard but we did it.  She was up!  But she was still unsteady on her feet and leaning on me considerably.  My dad had put the walker in front of her so she had it in her hands so we told her to take a step forward.  In that moment, I could see that her brain and foot were disconnected.  I could see her looking at her foot but it wasn’t moving.  So my father, standing in front of her guided her to put her left foot forward.  Eventually something connected and her brain and leg were speaking again.  I stayed walking behind her, supporting her to her chair where she plopped herself down. 

I was pretty proud of myself that I helped her up so we did a little high five and I did a bit of a dance.  She laughed and I laughed.  It was a sweet moment.